Car coupler



2 sheets-sheet 1 QN hwh NN NN CAR COUPLER Filed Feb. 12. 19294 May 17,1932.` ,.c. BURTON Javento CHEEOLL Buero/v, 1" I d g j l MY 17, 1932-4cf BURTON v 1,858,915

- c'AR coUPLER Filed Feb. .12, 1929 2 sheets-sheet 2 (AEEOLL Euere/v,

Patented May 17, 1932 1 ii Er ST ATE S FFIC i CARROLL BURTON, OFJOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVMIA CAR COUPLER Application led February 12, 1929.Serial'N'o. :$39,419.l

which will be suliiciently iiexible to operate regardless of theirregularities and sharp curves of mine tracks.

In the drawings:

Figure lis a sectional elevation of adjacent ends yof two cars havingthe coupler mechanism of this invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation throughthecenter line of the coupling.

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view thereof.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on ythe line IV-IV of Figure 1. v

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 2 designatesthe car havving the coupler-head thereon, and the numeral 3 designatesthe car having the coupler loopI or bail thereon.

The couplershead comprises a hollow vreceiving body portion 4 and ashank portion D 5. The body has a web 4a intermediate its ends, and hasits side walls cut away, as at 4b, forward of the web 4a so as to form aclevice-like receiving head adapted to receive the bail or loop carriedby the car 3. A transverse coupler-head supporting member 6 formed froma pair of channel sections arranged back-toback and securely riveted inposition is provided for supporting the coupler-head. The member 6 isprovided With an opening 7 therethrough through which the shank 5 of thecoupler-head prorlhe opening 7 is of a sufficient diam-V eter to provideclearance for a slight rocking jects.

movement of the coupler-head.

A load-receiving strap or draw-bar 8 is provided along the bottom of thecar above the transverse member 6 and is secured to said member, asecond load-receiving strap or draw-bar 9 being mounted under the member6 and secured thereto. The straps 8 and 9 extend under the car and aresecured to the main frame 9a of the car so as to deliver the pullingloads directly to the car frame. yoke member 10 is around the forwardends of the traps 8 and 9 and has its side portions extending paralleland with slight clearance only along the side faces of the coupler-head4, so as to serve' as guides to? prevent side. swinging movement of thecoupler-head, while the straps 8 and 9 are spaced a sui- 55 cientdistance above and'below the couplerhead to permit a limitedverticalmovement of the coupler-head when the cars are moved over a minetrack which is irregular in a vertical directionl due to the irregularmine Y floors.

If it is desired to provide for rotary dumping of the cars the rear endof the body p0rtion 4 of the coupler head may be made cylindrical so asto permit the coupler head to 65 rotate within the, confines of the yokemember 10, thereby permitting the cars to be dumped` on a rotary dumpwithout unconpling.

The couplerdiead is adapted to be normal` 70 ly flexible and held in ahorizontal position by equal strength coiled springs -121and 14 mountedaround the coupler-head shank 5 on opposite sides of the member 6.Suitable follower rings 15 'and 1'6 are mounted on the 75 shank 5 andbearz against the ends of the springs 12 and 14 opposite the member 6. Anut 1 7 is threaded on the free or rear end ofthe shank and serves'toadjust the tension j of the springs 12 and 14 so as to apply suf- 80ficient tension to the springs to maintain the coupler-head normally inhorizontal position. The nut 17 is adapted to bev locked in its adjustedposition by a Cotter-pin 18.

Suitable stop-sleeves 19 and 20 are mount 85 ed on the shank 5 on 'theopposite sides of the supporting member 6 and have a combined lengthmaterially less than the length of the shank 'between the follower rings15 and 16. The springs 12 and 14 are of equalgo strength and serve tovcenter the Vcouplerhead shank 5 in the support `6 and, therefore,thesleeves 19 and 20 willbe spaced a substantially equal distance fromthe member 6 and permit a limited horizontal movementy of thecoupler-head relative to the support 6.

The body or head portion 4 oi the coupler- A head is provided with apawl 22 pivotally mounted `for vertical movement on 'a pin 28. The topWallfof the head 4 is slotted, as at V100 The coupler loop or bail onthe car'3 is designated by the? numeral! 27'; and ,is,-rigidly :j

secured on a spacer-block 28 by bolts 2Q.

The spacer-block 28 is secured to upper and lower straps ordraw-barsBOby bolts 3l,

which straps eXtend"rearwardly and aresecured. to themain trame` 32AottheHcarby '-bolts- 33,n so` as to deliverlthe pulling strains tromthebail, ldirectly to -the .main frame 132 ot-the-c'ar. V.The bail-.or loop27..isot. a

materia'llyf..greater#-widtlithan4 the coupling head andthe `:forward or.closed end ot Kthe loop iswidenedmaterially, as .at27, so as to`provide Vfor thev -side' swings .made by 'mine cars. -A'Iheiradius ofthe'c-urves in minetracks visfabout.-onethirdy ot that invlordinary.railroad tracks, consequently a wide swing-mustAbeallowedior. Y A

The present .coupler .mechanism is'particularly V adapted for Y-useaonmine fand similar cars; fand- .is designed `sofas :to overcome vvthe.many problems peculiar to-this .class of use. 'While I have shown and.described 4one specific embodiment of .my`inventi 011 it Y will beunderstood tlrat I do not wish to be limited thereto, sincevariousmodificationsmay be i `made:Without.departing :from .thesseope4ot my -invention Vas ideinedwin'the appended claims.

- I claim:

1. Inwcombination 'with` a vmine .cara a .transverse coupler-head.supportingrumen \ber, a yload-receivingdraw-barstrap .mount- -edalong-the `bottcmof said-car above said transverse member and secured-tosaid transl,verse member, aF second` draw-bar-fstrap mounted alongthebottom otsaidcarunder fsaid transverse member and-- secured v to -Ysaidtransverse member,.means .for securingsaid drawebar straps togetherandto Ithe-main lframe ofV said car,l said-transverse member -beingprovidedwith :an opening to receive the sha-nk of acoupler-liead, a coupler-headcomprising affreceivinglbody portion. land a shank, said Vshank-'portionlextend-ing vfreely 55 through said openinginsaiditransverse mem--ber,:and resilient means for pressing said coupler-headfinopposite'dir'ections .relative to said .traverse memberi'and adapted v`tonormally.` lmaintainfsaid head 'insubstantially 50 .centralposition withfreedom to rock up and -downand to yieldrinithe direction of load, ayoke member mounted `around the forward ends of said draw-bar straps,said'yokeimem- -ber having itsside portions extending-parat Y 65vlel-with :slight ,clearance alongY the y faces'of xtraine of said carfor transmitting loadsI from said transverse member to the main frameot'saidcar, saidtransverse member being provided with an 4- openinghtoreceive V.the ,shank yof a coupler-headr a `coupler-head comprising abodyfp'ortionand aishank, said shank portion extending treelythroughsaid f `openingV infsaid transversemember,V and rc- .silientf means for.pressing said coupler-head in opposite directions relativeftosaid.transverse member and adaptedto normally maintain said. .head f 1nsubstantially central ,posi- .tion with freedomfto-rockup and. downandto yieldiin thedirection of load, a Yyokemem-` bei'securedto.the-forward vend of. said drawvbarstrapysaid. yokememberhaving its side portions extending parallel with slight clear- "ancealongthetaceset said-body portion of thecoupler-head seas. to guide saidhead Vand prevent side swingingtliereot, and said yoke .-beingspacedvertically above :and belowzsaid coupler-head a-suiiicient distancetopermit a limited ivertical ,movement of.. said .couplerheadvcaused bythe erection ofatrack.

In testimony whereof, I have. hereunto set ,my hand.

. CARROLL BURTGN.

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